-66 kg: Japan Takes Gold and Silver For the Second Time on Day 1

In the first medal match, German Kobets (IJF) and Toyly Myradov (TKM) began at a high pace from the first ‘hajime,’ Kobets scoring waza-ari in the first movement with a left-sided uchi-mata. He followed up not long after with a huge ko-soto-gake for ippon, earning himself a junior world bronze medal.

Alessio De Luca (ITA), the number two seed, and Zamohshari Bekmurodov (UZB) faced off for medal number two in the group. De Luca threatened with his ne-waza attempts throughout and Bekmurodov should have taken heed. At the end of normal time there was no positive score and so they went into golden score and two minutes later the Italian completed his mission, earning a submission with a well employed sode-guruma jime.

In the final, Kentoku (JPN) faced teammate Fukuchi (JPN), the second all-Japanese final of day one in Dushanbe. It was a largely uneventful final for two and a half minutes, both athletes looking for scores but remaining cagey, unwilling to risk it all in case the other could counter or otherwise take advantage. With 90 seconds to go though, Kenton turned in with a massive seoi-nage and it was scored waza-ari. However, upon review it was clear that he used his head in the final phase of the throw and was duly disqualified sending the medal home in Fukuchi’s pocket.